Cynthia E., her husband Valdemar C. and their two children never thought their dream of owning a home would become a reality because of the rising cost of living in their Long Beach community. After years of renting, Cynthia decided to take a chance to find out if they would qualify for homeownership through Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA). She’s glad she did.

“When we were selected, we were so excited to own a home and not have to answer to landlords anymore,” Cynthia said. “When our kids saw the house for the first time, they were so happy to pick out the room they wanted and choose their favorite color to paint the walls.”

Giving back to the communities it serves is why Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison, continues to support Habitat LA by donating nearly $900,000 since 1992. Most recently, 10 homes are being built by volunteers, including SCE employees, in Long Beach as part of Habitat LA’s Millennium Homes development.

The qualification process requires applicants to put in sweat equity hours, which includes helping other families who qualify build their dream home. The electric appliances, solar panels and green building materials used in the construction of these homes align with SCE’s efforts to help the state meet its ambitious clean energy goals.

“Habitat LA now builds homes equipped with all electrical appliances, so this is a great opportunity to reduce greenhouse gases by 30% to 60% in these communities. Each all-electric home built makes a big difference in the air quality in the area,” said Greg Ferree, SCE’s vice president of Vegetation Inspections and Operational Services and a Habitat LA board member since 2013.

“It’s not only cheaper to construct the home, it’s also cheaper to operate the home with electric utilities, and the homeowner can save up to $500 a year on their energy bills,” he added.

The homes are scheduled to be completed by early summer, and Habitat LA will hand over the keys to the families, including Cynthia’s, at that time.

“We love that we can stay in Long Beach since we have family that lives close by that can help us anytime we need them,” said Cynthia.